


Day 9: Swing

by Magpie_Crow



Series: Inktober 2019 [9]
Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Blind!Patton, Disability, M/M, Military mention, Miscommunication, Slow Burn, angst again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 02:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20958668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magpie_Crow/pseuds/Magpie_Crow
Summary: He asked Patty to give him an answer in the park today.That the park remained empty until well past sunset was answer enough.





	Day 9: Swing

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of a three part story, of which parts two and three will also be covering inktober prompt days. Hope you enjoy!

Emile sat on the park swing, watching his best friend gesticulate wildly with his glasses. “And your eighteenth birthday is tomorrow, Em! We gotta do something!” 

He smiled at Patton’s enthusiasm, but his face fell a little. 

“Em? What’s wrong?” 

“I ship out day after tomorrow, Pat.”

Patton stopped moving his hands to stare at Emile, dumbstruck. “Em, really? So soon? I’m sure Dot and Larry would be happy if you stayed a few more days?”

Emile shook his head. “I can’t inconvenience them anymore, Patty. The military is… It’s an opportunity.”

Patton slumped, and Emile couldn’t help the sharp stab of guilt he felt at disappointing his friend. 

“Well, I guess we’ll have to make the most of our time now!” He perked up, and almost immediately crumpled back over, hands going to clutch his head. 

“Migraine?” Emile was up and at Pat’s side in a heartbeat, wrapping a gentle arm around his shoulders. 

The shorter boy hummed in agreement, curling into Emile’s chest. “Sorry, Em. I thought I could ride it out.” 

“Hey, it’s ok. We’ll see each other tomorrow, won’t we?”

Patton smiled up at him, gentle and sweet. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” He pulled away from Emile and reached to scoop up his bag. Emile caught his hand.

“Hey Patty? Can I tell you something?” He searched Patton’s face for a second, only finding openness and acceptance. 

“Of course, Em. What’s up?”

“I don’t want you to answer today, Pat, I know you don’t like making big decisions when you’ve got a migraine, but…” Emile paused, gathering up the courage to say what was on his mind. “I- I love you, Patty. I’d like to be your boyfriend.” 

Patton was staring at him, eyes wide. He started to open his mouth, but Emile put a finger up to his lips. “Don’t answer, Patty. You can tell me tomorrow? Please?”

He nodded, and Emile let go of his wrist. 

Emile couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

~~

The park was empty all day. Emile hadn’t had any other plans, other than hopefully spending the day with Patton, but… Patton hadn’t shown up. 

He had hoped- The way Pat looked at him sometimes, the way he said his name… Maybe those times meant something. 

Patton was a bright star in Emile’s dark universe, a guiding light towards happiness. The six years Emile had known him were the six best years of his life, and oh, how much he had wanted that to continue. 

He asked Patty to give him an answer in the park today.

That the park remained empty until well past sunset was answer enough.

~~

TEN YEARS LATER (give or take a few months)

~~

Doctor Emile Picani brushed an imaginary spot of dust off the placard on his new office door. He was proud of his education, and where it had landed him. He wasn’t so proud of his military experience. Emile hated the two tours he had spent overseas, but they paid for his schooling, so maybe it was worth something. 

Why he had come back to the town he spent a mere six years in was lost to him. It wasn’t like he planned on visiting his last foster parents, or even finding out what happened to- 

No need to dwell on the past. Emile was set up in a nice office, with a steadily growing client list. In fact, he even had a client that was a home visit! 

Normally he wouldn’t do home visits, of course, but the office secretary had informed him that the client was disabled, and the client’s usual assistant would be unavailable until next summer. That didn’t make much sense to him, but since the client was also paying quite a bit extra for the home visit, he didn’t mind. 

Someday Emile would learn not to think too soon.

~~ 

The neighborhood Emile turned into was startlingly familiar. It had been so long since he’d been in the area that he hadn’t recognized the address, but the neat houses were very familiar. Maybe he should have looked at the client’s name before heading out. 

No matter, Emile Picani was a doctor and a professional. Even if he recognized or had history with his client, it wouldn’t get in the way of his work as a therapist. 

His time in the military armed him with a choice of words that truly fit his emotions when the GPS let him know he was at the correct residence. 

He was a professional. He would _not_ punch Patton Sanders on sight. He would also not kiss Patton Sanders on sight. 

A small flicker of hope in his heart told him that Patton Sanders wasn’t disabled, right? Surely it wasn’t Patton. 

Emile rang the doorbell, definitely not glancing around the yard curiously, because he was a professional. 

“Coming, coming!” The door swung open, revealing Patton Sanders, looking directly at Emile’s chest. “Hello! You must be Doctor P! I’m awfully sorry for the inconvenience of coming out here, but with the boys at school and dad and Logan at work, it’s so hard to leave the house!” Patton stepped to the side, gesturing for Emile to enter. “I’m beginning to think I ought to get a dog, just to get around during the school year.” 

Emile cleared his throat. “Ahem. Boys, Mister Sanders?”

Patton’s face lit up, and he tilted it more towards Emile’s. “Goodness, you’re taller than I thought! My apologies, Doc! Yes, boys. I’ve got twins, they just started Kindergarten this year.” 

“I… See. And, pardon me for asking, but how would they help you leave the house?”

“Oh, they’re my eyes! Except they talk a bit more than eyes, and Roman can’t help but wander off when he sees something shiny.” Patton paused for a moment. “Have we met, Doc? Your voice sounds familiar.”

“I don’t believe so, no.” Emile was trying very hard to keep his voice steady. Patton had once been his best friend, why in the world didn’t he recognize him?

“Well, if you say so. Please, sit down!” Patton ushered him to a chair nearby, without touching him or looking at the chair. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I think Logan re-arranged the fridge without telling me again. I couldn’t find a snake if it bit me!” 

Emile sat, and Patton grinned at him, still not meeting his eyes. “Oh! Let me show you a picture of the boys! They’re adorable, so I’m told.” He spun around and started running his hands over the many frames on the mantelpiece. 

Emile didn’t remember there being so many photos the last time he visited the Sanders residence. 

“Here we go!” Patton turned again, holding out a frame for him to take. “Dad took that one a few weeks before school started. We’ve been documenting the boy’s growth every year.”  
Looking down at the photo, Emile felt something in his chest begin to ache. There were two boys in the photo, roughly five or six years old, but there were also two men in the photo. Patton was standing behind his sons, grinning at the camera. Another man was beside him, kissing his cheek affectionately. 

“I never thought you had it in you to be cruel, Patton” Emile whispered. “I suppose I was wrong.”

Patton froze. “I’m sorry?”

“My apologies, Mister Sanders, but I’m not cut out to be your therapist. Please call the office and schedule an appointment with someone else.” He stood abruptly, putting the picture frame down on the coffee table with a resounding click. “I’ll see myself out.”

“Doctor? What-“ 

Emile didn’t notice the business card that fell out of his pocket as he made his way out of the house and into his car. He didn’t even notice Patton standing at the door as he drove away.

~~

His next few appointments flew by, much to his relief. Emile wasn’t entirely sure whether he wanted to cry or laugh or… Hit things, really. Patton obviously never felt the same way Emile had, and it stung in a way nothing had ever stung before. 

Emile passed the next day in a blur, doing his best to remain upbeat and helpful to his new clientele. He almost slumped when he realized he only had one appointment left for the day. 

Walking into the lobby made him tense up again. Patton was sitting there, staring at the ceiling, prim and proper in a way that Emile had never seen him. He coughed lightly, and Patton turned his head towards him.

“I need to talk to you, Em.” 

“I am afraid I have an appointment at this time, Mister Sanders, with one Lo-“

“Logan Ashford.” Why wouldn’t Patton look him in the eye? “My roommate set it up for me so that we could talk.”

Emile sighed. “I don’t know what there is to talk about.”

“Please, Em.” His voice was small and defeated, and all Emile wanted to do was scoop him up and assure him that everything would be alright. “Please let me explain?”

“Fine… You have an hour.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sorry.
> 
> I set up a Discord server! <https://discord.gg/gtWgvQ4>  
Join me to talk about my writing and stuff!
> 
> Find more on tumblr @we-are-fam-ily


End file.
